2026 Olympic and Paralympic World Class Performance Programme Judoka Confirmed
January 20, 2026
A total of 27 athletes have been confirmed for membership to the British Judo Olympic and Paralympic World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) for 2026.
The Olympic and Paralympic WCPP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative which has the purpose to identify, develop and support talented athletes towards medal success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major Championships.
The WCPP is split into levels reflecting the actual and potential performance development levels of athletes: Podium and Podium Potential. Athletes are nominated for the WCPP to further the aim of British Judo to win medals at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Therefore, British Judo must be confident that any athlete nominated for the WCPP has the realistic potential and demonstrable performance capability and capacity to make the necessary progress to achieve a medal at least in one of the next two Olympic or Paralympic Games. British Judo is committed to the principle that winning will always be achieved with integrity and in line with UK Sport’s ambition of ‘Keep Winning and Win Well’.
All at British Judo would like to thank UK Sport and the National Lottery for their continued investment and support in the World Class Programme. Their support is essential in helping our athletes be the best prepared they can be for the biggest competitions in our sport.
British Judo Performance Director, Kate Howey MBE commented: “As we look ahead to the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, our focus now turns firmly to the start of qualification in June. The early stages of the qualification period are critical, and gaining ranking points early on will be a key priority as we build momentum and place our athletes in the strongest possible position on the road to the Games.
“We have a clear long-term strategy in place for LA 2028, one that has been carefully planned and aligned with athlete development, competition exposure and performance readiness from the very start of the cycle.
“The backing we receive from UK Sport allows our athletes to fully commit to the demands of elite judo, while The National Lottery continues to transform what is possible within Olympic and Paralympic sport in the UK. We are determined to maximise this support and continue contributing to Team GB and ParalympicsGB success in Los Angeles and beyond.”
GB Judo Olympic and Paralympic World Class Performance Programme for 2026:
Podium:
Olympic:
Chelsie Giles (Coventry Judo Club)
Lucy Renshall (SKK Judo Club)
Jemima Yeats Brown (Ryecroft Judo Club/Stewart Judo Club)
Emma Reid (Redbridge Judo Club)
Paralympic:
Dan Powell (Phoenix Judo Club)
Miles Soloman (Oxford University Judo Club)
Evan Malloy (Devizes Judo Club)
Podium Potential:
Olympic:
Summer Shaw (Camberley Judo Club)
Tatum Keen (Bradley Stoke Judo Club)
Caitlin Barber (Middlesbrough Judo)
Lola Hodson (Dragons Judo Academy)
Acelya Toprak (Camberley Judo Club)
Chloe Link (Relentless Judo)
Kelly Petersen Pollard (Hardy Spicer Judo Club)
Shelley Ludford (Judo Club Osaka)
Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford Judo Club)
Charlie Ayre (Teeside Judo Club)
Mike Fryer (Rush Judo)
Charlie Young (Ryecroft Judo Club)
Ethan Nairne (Bradley Stoke Judo Club)
Ben Levy (Budokwai)
Irakli Goginashvili (Palavani Judo Club)
Lachlan Moorhead (Penistone Judo Club)
Ollie Barratt (Dragons Judo Academy)
Max Gregory (Drake Judo Club)
Paralympic:
Jack Hodgson (Grimsby Judo Club)
Evie Gormley (Stewart Judo Academy)
